On the Plate:

Healthful Recipes for 2013

It’s that time of year when many of us make a resolution to start the year by eating in a more healthful way. Whether by reducing fat, eliminating gluten or extracting the most vitamins and minerals from produce through juicing or blending, healthful eating is more than a fleeting New Year’s resolution. It’s here to stay.

To help you get into the swing of creating healthful recipes for yourself, friends and family, we have three recipes from folks who speak with authority on this subject, Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen and Seamus Mullen from Tertulia. Both Jaden and Seamus have written books that incorporate these ideals and they have each shared recipes with us. In fact, Seamus also has shared a video demonstrating how to prepare his recipe using a Breville juicer.

Jaden Hair's
Korean Beef Bites

Many Korean meals are very meat centric - bulgogi (thin sliced ribeye) and kalbi (marinated short ribs) are two favorites. We switched the fatty ribeye to lean flank steak. I also cut the amount of sugar in the marinade. The bite-sized meat is grilled then placed on top of a crunchy gluten-free rice cracker, then topped with a spicy kimchi for a super-flavorful appetizer.

Slice the steak as thin as you can into at least 24 pieces. If you are using flank steak, make sure to slice across the grain. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Add the steak and mix to coat. Marinate for at least 10 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. You’ll cook the steak in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. When the pan is hot, add the steak, and grill 1 to 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your slices.

To serve, layer a slice of steak on each rice cracker, top with kimchi and garnish with green onion.

Jaden Hair's Mapo Tofu

The Mapo Tofu is made with only 1/4 pound of lean ground turkey (vs. 1 full pound fatty ground pork) and I've cut back drastically on the use of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. This recipe features tofu, peas and carrots, so it's full of vegetables.

Heat a sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat. When hot, swirl in the oil, add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until onion is softened and translucent. Add the meat and use your spatula to stir and break up.

When the meat begins to lose its pink color, add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and oyster sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the tofu and peas and carrots. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Stir this mixture into the pan and let cook for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the green onions and season with the hot sauce, to taste. Serve immediately.